6/19: Selvation at Salon des Refuses

When Nina Sarnelle refers to her one-night sculpture show Selvation as an “underground event,” she literally means it. Her gallery, Salon des Refuses, is located in the newly refurbished basement of an apartment building. Sarnelle graduated from Oberlin College two years ago with degrees in creative writing and film studies. Selvation, her first show, includes mostly small sculptures made out of things she found in the apartment, like paper, thread and old McCall’s magazines featuring fashion drawings of impossibly shaped ladies. The work is formed into tiny origami — suspended, contorted and communicating something about how feminist perspectives fit into Christian scripture. The show also includes a couple of animated video installations. Sarnelle slaps a subtitle on the whole thing: “Modest exercises in eternal damnation: a liturgical undressing.” But don’t be frightened by the religious trappings. When she says “blood and body will be served,” she’s talking about refreshments. It happens from 8-midnight at the Salon des Refuses (1387 East Blvd., 517.420.6715). Admission is free. — Michael Gill